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Whether we like it or not, appearances do matter. This is not a self-interested plea aimed at urging my readers to buy something from my Webshop (although I am of course happy to provide you with
one of my finest writing implements!). Rather, it is intended as a statement of fact and a talking point. For better or for worse, with every
step that we take into the world, we are being observed and, sadly, judged by our peers. Our mothers may well have taught us that "it's what is inside that matters", but this is unlikely to
impress our future boss into giving us a new position or persuade the new bank manager into giving us a large loan. Attention to our appearance is a vital part of living in today's society.

This has me thinking about items that we wear and use on a daily basis. Standing out from the crowd is not easy and yet we still strive to do so, ironically, by purchasing many of the same items
that we see others using and wearing. The inevitable consequence: In our attempt to differentiate ourselves from others, we end up looking even more like those who surround us. As the crowd
chanted together to Brian's mother in "The life of Brian" (a film by the Monty Python collective), "Yes, we're all individuals!"

Henry Ford famously stated that "you can have any color as long as it's black." Things certainly have evolved since 1909 but, in our modern, so-called free market, we choose (or, some
might say, are forced to choose) between Samsung and iPhone, PC and Mac, Coke or Pepsi, Android or iOS, manual or automatic. Cars of course offer a little more choice, but on the
highways of Germany we all seem to be riding in the chariots of the same 5 or 6 manufacturers, with each model looking like last year's or the competitor's bestseller. Similarly, our houses or
apartments all suffer from acute cases of Ikea-itis, with everyone owning or having owned a Billy bookshelf. The list goes on.

This isn't the consequence of a lack of choice, for we have many. The culprit is the uniformity of choice, with each product resembling the other. Because of this, we have been conditioned into
desiring what we are being told to desire, rather than being allowed to truly follow our innermost instincts. If we need a new car, we must choose a car that looks like one. Need a new phone?
Then you must buy a phone that looks like a phone. Begone, spirit of original design and function! From a manufacturer's point of view, this is understandable: Investing in originality, in
something "far out", diverse and unique is a major risk few are willing to take. With each manufacturer not wishing to risk too much, they stick to the "definite winners" of the past. Why
reinvent the wheel, after all?

Most of us cannot afford full wardrobes of handmade shoes and clothes, nor do we have the time to perpetually be on the lookout for a unique Je ne sais quoi for every day of the week,
but "God is in the detail" as the expression would have it. It is the small nuances, the tiny accents and the wonderful personal touch that highlight our own individuality, that free us and that
set us aside from the crowd.

I'd like to conclude on an optimistic note: In a world like today's, a genuine smile, a kind disposition and a well-groomed appearance are the one true way to set yourself apart from the crowd.
That said, a nice handcrafted pen certainly doesn't hurt. :-)

My local timber supplier once said to me, "Wood is simply amazing". And he is right about that. Forget metal, clay, wool or stone; wood is the
king of all materials. It is both alive and dead, maleable and rigid, weak and strong. It adds warmth to our households and stability to our roofs. It shelters us from the wind and gives us a
shade in the heat of the summer.

We've probably all found ourselves bewildered by the majesty of trees during our childhood, but for me it wasn't until I discovered the potential of wood in the scientific process of
dendrochronology (tree ring dating) when I realized just how good a friend wood has been to humanity. It is stunning to think that 400 year old trees felled by a storm can be used today
to make beautiful hardwood floors, but it is even more awe-inspiring that we can still accurately date wood 15,000 years old (or more) and conclude that it used to be part of a bridge or a
granary. That is what I call a long and true friendship and it is really amazing.

Wood in all its shapes and colours, in all its smells and textures, that is what appeals to most of us. The grain on a bowl, the elegance of a tabletop, the robust presence of a cupboard,... We
run our hands against it and place it under our noses. Our relationship with wood is ancestral and appeals to that most primitive part of the human mind. It comforts and nurtures today as it has
for thousands of years.

So today, I turn a new page as I attempt to share my love of this magical material with others. With my creations, I hope to share some of the
ideas and designs that I find most fascinating.